Scaffold



April 12, 1966 T. M.- WELLS, JR

S CAFFOLD Filed Jan. 22, 1964 I NVEN TOR. THOMH s M W 5 JR United States Patent 3,245,495 SCAFFOLD Thomas M. Wells, Jr., 4810 Watson Road, Erie, Pa. Filed Jan. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 339,372 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-152) This invention relates to scaffolds and, more particularly, to an improved light weight, simple scaffold which can be used in building construction and, especially, inside buildings for painting, plastering, and other construction work.

Prior devices such as disclosed in Patent No. 2,599,670 did not have efficient means for storing the scaffold boards at the ends of the scaffolds.

In the disclosed scaffold, there are no braces across the scaffold below the rails. The absence of braces makes it possible to work over furniture or as in churches over pews. If the scaffold is too long, it can be adjusted in length by curving it. It is also easy to dismantle at days end. The absence of cross bracing on the scaffold dis closed herein makes it ideal to roll it about in most any area where there are desks, chairs, tables, file cabinets, etc. and, especially, in churches around and between pews.

The extenders are used for hard to reach areas such as in supermarkets and retail stores along walls over built-in racks. Also, the extenders make the scaffold longer over practical transportation size.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved scaffold which may be folded into a minimum space and which need not be disassembled to move it through doorways and the like with efficient platform storing means for use during moving the scatfold.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvide scaffold which may be quickly adjusted in height and which has improved supports at the ends thereof for supporting scaffold boards.

A further object of the invention is to provide a scaffold which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a scaffold according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the parts of the scaffold;

FIG. 4 is a top view of one of the end brackets;

FIG. 4A is a side view of one of the end brackets;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of one of the other brackets; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the boards.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the scaffold shown herein has corner legs 10 which may be made of cylindrical tubing or the like and which have spaced holes at the lower ends thereof. The corner legs 10 are received in first short tubes 13 and second short tubes 14 which are attached to end rails 11 and side rails 12, respectively.

The rails 11 and 12 are disposed with their upper edges in different planes. This is a distinct advantage where work is to be done at two levels; for example, where "ice a false ceiling is being hung two feet below an original ceiling. Here, one level of boards can be laid across the rails 12 for reaching the upper ceiling and another level of boards can be laid across the tops of the rails 11 for reaching the lower ceiling.

Brackets 21 have horizontal portions and inwardly extending top portions which terminate in downwardly facing U-shaped members 23 which straddle the rails 12. Holes 22 are formed in the brackets 21 and they are received on the legs 10. Lower U-shaped members 33 are received on the lower parts of the legs 10 below bosses 13. The brackets 21 make it possible to extend the platform over hard to reach areas such as counters in retail stores and supermarkets. They are also used as an easy method to extend the platform simply for a larger scaffold.

Boards 29 have cleats 30 spaced thereon at their ends which straddle the side rails 12 and hold them in spaced relation and thereby prevent the scaffold from collapsing. Brackets 25 are generally Z-shaped and have upwardly turned ends 27 and downwardly turned ends 26. The ends 26 are received in the open tops of the corner legs 10 and members 34 are received around the tubular members.

The short tubes 13 are supported on pins 19 which have portions which extend through holes 15. Thus, the pins support the brackets in vertical position.

When the scaffold is assembled as shown, the boards may be stacked on the brackets 21 or 25 and the scafiold can then be raised up and down to adjust its height. By removing the boards entirely, the scaffold can be collapsed completely without dismantling it and thereby moved through a door or the like.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

A folding scafl old comprising two identical side frames each having a first short corner tube attached to each of its ends,

two identical end frames each having a second pair of short tubes,

four corner legs, one passing through each said first short tube and through each said second short tube and sl-idable thereon forming a fold-able parallelogram,

a multiplicity of vertically spaced apertures in each said leg,

removable pin members selectively disposed in said apertures,

said pin members being engaged by said second short tubes to limit the downward sliding thereof,

elongated planks having their ends resting on said side frames,

brackets having a horizontal portion with an intermediate -hole receiving a said corner leg,

an end of each said bracket resting on a said side frame,

a U-slraped member on one end of said horizontal portion straddling said side frame,

and a downwardly inclined portion extending from the outer end of said horizontal portion to a second U- shaped member,

said second U-shaped member on each said bracket engaging said corner legs.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Haynes 248-235 X Uecker 248235 Alloway 248--221 Thomas 182152 Bucsko 248235 Webster 248235 Delp 182-179 X 4 FOREIGN PATENTS REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. 

